Chain-link.



W. P. ALLEN.

CHAIN LINK.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.7, 1911.

' 1,063,493 Patented June 3, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

, winnmir r. ALLEN, or u'r'rim nocx, namsas.

Beit knownthat I, WILLIAM P. Arman,

,a citizen of the United States, residing, at

Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have inventednew and useful. Improvements in Chain Links, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention isto provide an improved form of link to be used in a tractor chain.

It consists of the features and elements described and shown in the drawings as indicated in the claims. I

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a tractor chain composed of links of the form embodying this invention, the said chain being diagrammatically shown as mounted about a pair of tractor wheels formed vto serve as sprocket wheels for the chain.

Fi 2 is a plan view of the chain illustrated in ig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a single link of the chain shown in-Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken as indicatrd at line 14' on F 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section ta enas indicated at line 5-5 on Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one end of the link illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the remainder of the link being broken away. Fig. 7 is a per-, spective view of an adjustable bearing stud for the chain link. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan View of the stud illustrated in Fig. 7.

As maybe understood from Fig. 1, the chain link which is the subject of this invention is intended to be employed as an element of a chain adapted for usein a tractor of the caterpillar type, that is,.in which an endless chain running upon driving sprockets comes directly in contact with the road surface and itself exerts the tractive efi'ort of the machine. Fig. 1 illustrates a pair of sprocket wheels, 1, 1, about which the chain composed of the links, A, is mounted, while a bar or track, 2, positioned in the interval between the wheels, 1, 1, serves to transmit the load to that portion of the chain which is not directly supported on the wheels, so as to keep the chain properly alined and in contact with the road surface. The chain is provided with rollers, B, designed to run upon the track, 2, and to reduce wear and friction to a minimum at this point. It may be understood that any convenient form of power plant supported in '1," 1, may be employed for rotating them, and thus for driving the chain about them and propelling the vehicle with which the tractor is associated. The general function of the tractor chain having now been explained, the description from this point will be limited to the detail. construction of a single-link of the chain.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it may be noted that the link, A, is a casting of hollow or honeycombed construction, its side walls, A, being connected by a series of arched ribs, A andthe spaces between these ribs being further subdivided by a medial longitudinal .spine, A. The top or roadengaging surface of the link is comprised of a pair of flat faces, A and A, inclined to each other at an angle of about 120 degrees, and capped along their line of intersection by an applied transverse rib, C, which is secured to the main casting of the link, A, by foursmall bolts, C By reference to Fig. 1, itwill be seen that this applied element, C, is the first portion of the link to engage the road surface and is consequently subjected to the greatest wear in use it is therefore desirable that this portion of the link be made removable and replaceable in order to save the cost of replacing the entire link, which would amount to replacing the entire chain whenever this Portion of the links should become unduly worn down.' The sloping face, A, is continued in a curve which is designed to blend with the adjacent face, A, of the next succeeding link in the chain so that the road. engaging portion of the chain shall present as nearly as possible a continuous inclosed wall, in order that the minimum amount of dust shall be collected by the chain from the road. At one end of the link the side walls, A are connected by a cross bar, A, while at the other end the' walls are separated by a distance {just equal to the length of this bar, A", and the walls at this end are apertured at, A, to

serve as lugs for. connecting the link with w I CHAIN-LINK.

1,063,493. s owm n of m m ni- Patented June 3, 1913. I Application ma August 7,1911. Serial naaiazee.

To all whom it'mau concern: any convenient manner upon the wheels,

, perspective in Fig. 7. This stud comprises diameter than the shank, D,

a frusto-conical shank, D extending from an octagonal portion, D of slightly greater and this latter portion is surmounted by a cylindrical head, D formed eccentrically with respect to the common axisof the portions, D and D the whole fitting being apertured along this axis at, D. As may be seen from Fig. 6, each end of the cross-bars, A, is provided with an octagonal openin at, A, which is continued into the interlor of the bar in the form of a frusto-conical aperture, A, leading into the interior coredout chamber, A", of the bar.' Thus the bar is adapted at each end to receive one of the studs, D, which is held against turning therein by virtue of its octagonal portion, D fitting into the octagonal opening, A of the bar. The eccentric head, D of each stud, D, constitutes the real bar with respect to the adjacent link, since it enters the aperture, A, and serves as the pivotal connection between the two links. The urpose of the eccentricity of the head, D is to permit the stud, D, to be adjusted to compensate for any wear on the cross-bar, A, so that the efiective length of the link may be maintained as nearlyconstant as possible, in order that the hollows, 1*} of the sprocket wheels, 1, .may not become malformed on account of any variation in the length of the links, A. This adjustment may be readily effected by withdrawing the stud far enough to release its octagonal portion, D

' from the octagonal cavity, A ,-then rotating it through one eighth of a turn and replacing it with the octagonal portions of .stud and cross-bar again in contact. If in practice it be found that the greatest wear comes either on the heads, D of the studs or on the circular walls of the apertures, A, this sort of adjustment will operate to take up such Wear just as effectively as it may serve to compensate for the wear on the cross-bar, A. An index mark, D placed on the flat face of the head, D serves to assist the operator in makinga uniform adjustment throughout the chain. The'studs,

D, are conically apertured to serve as journal bearings for the frusto-conical axles, B of the rollers, B; and to keep the rollers and studs in place, a tie-bolt, E, extends through the rollers, B. The axial aperture, B, which accommodates the tie-bolt, E, is reduced near the outer end in each roller, and in one of them this reduced portion contains a pair of grooves parallel to the axis, into which there extends a pin, E carried transversely in the bolt to cause the latter to turn with the rollers, and thus to prevent its nut, E from working loose.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a chain made up of the links above described is adapted for a long life in the use for which it is intended, since the traction shoes, C, maybe easily and chea ly replaced as fast as they wear down, an since the comparatively slow wear of the studs, D, or the cross-bar, A, can be gradually compensated by the adjustment of the studs, D. Obviously the effectiveness of this t pe of adjustment is not dependent u on t e use of octagonally formed studs, D, ut the portion, D may be made in the form of a regular polygon of any desired number of sides. The width of. the chain relative to the width of the machine upon which it is used, is not material inrelation to this invention, since'a single chain or a plurality of chains may be employed on the tractor.

I claim I i 1. A chain comprising links and pivots connecting them, said pivots each comprising two portions, one eccentric to the other, said portions engaging the connected ends of adjacent links, respectively, and means for securing the pivots against rotation in one of the links.

2. A chain comprising links and pivots connecting them, said pivots each comprising two portions, one portion being formed regularly about an axis, the other portion being of circular cross section eccentric to said axis, said portions engaging the connected ends of adjacent links, respectively, and the links being adapted to hold the jregularly formed portions of said pivots against rotation.

3. A sprocket cha n comprislng links each of which consists of side bars and a cross bar connecting them at one end, link pivots each consisting of two portions one eccentric to the other, the crossbar of each link being recemed to receive one portion of a link pivot and the side bars being each apertured at the other end of the link to receive the other portion of the link pivot, and means for securing one portion of the pivot against rotation in the link.

4. A sprocket chain comprising links each of which consists of side bars and a cross 3 bar connecting them at one end, the other end of each side bar being apertured to receive a pivot, a pair of link pivots each comprising two portions, one portion being formed regularly about an axis and the other portion being of circular-cross section eccentric to said axis, the cross bar being recessed at both ends to receive the said regularly formed portions of the pivots, and the apertures in the side bars being adapted to receive the circular portions of the pivots,

the link pivots being axially apertured, and a tie bolt passing through said axial apertures for securing the pivots in place.

5, A sprocket chain comprising links each of which consists of side bars and a cross bar connecting them at one end, the other recessed to receive said shank and shoulder, the shoulder recess in said cross bar bein formed to prevent rotation of the polygona 20 shoulder in the link and the apertures in the side bars being each adapted to receive the circular headof a pivot, each pivot being axially apertured, and a tie bolt passing through said axial aperture into the cross 25 bar for securing the pivot in place.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Little Rock, Arkansas, this 2d day of Aug, 1911.

WILLIAM P. ALLEN. 

